Efficient use of scientific archives and associated Information
Technology (IT) systems is of critical importance
in order to realize the full scientific
potential of extant and new astronomical facilities. The OPTICON
partners agreed to coordinate their efforts towards the realization of
an Astrophysical Virtual Observatory for the whole of European
astronomy. An Astrophysical Virtual Observatory will allow all
European astronomers to partake in, and utilize, the technological
advances of the future internet (GRID) initiatives that have
already been recognized by the EC as critical to the development of
the European Research Area. Similar efforts are under way in the US, in
response to an NSF decadal report on Astronomy, and in other subjects.

Astrovirtel.
an ESO/ ESA proposal including the Space Telescope-European
Co-ordinating Facility, had been supported by the EC Framework
Programme to provide enhanced access to the data from HST, the VLT,
and some La Silla telescopes at the level of 300k Euros for 3 years.
This will support travel and subsistence, dedicated data acquisition
support and associated operational costs.

Building on this
experience, OPTICON established three working groups to investigate
practical implemention of a Virtual Observatory; one to focus on the
scientific utilization of archives, chaired by Piero Benvenuti; one on
the interoperability of archives, chaired by Francoise Genova; and one
on the necessary IT infrastructure for the exploitation of an ever
increasing astronomical data flood, chaired by Peter Quinn. A meeting
of the OPTICON partner organisations in Strasbourg on 13 October 2000
made explicit recommendations to these working groups to prepare, by
early 2001, proposals to the 5th Framework RTD program for
developments leading to the
Astrophysical Virtual Observatory , for the
benefit of the entire EC-wide astronomical community.

Several workshops utilizing EC funds were organized by the three
OPTICON working groups in 2000 to clarify requirements and make
specific recommendations for future proposals for EC funding in
critical technology and human resources areas. These workshops were
open to all the community, and explicitely invited every major
relevant initiative and group in the EC.

Following upon the OPTICON recommendations for co-ordinated community
effort in bringing about an Astrophysical Virtual Observatory in
Europe, two co-ordinated RTD proposals were
submitted to, and funded by, the EU. The first is a proposal for a
Phase-A work program for the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (AVO)
co-ordinated by the chairpersons of the three associated OPTICON
working groups. This proposal focuses on the working group themes of
scientific requirements, interoperability and GRID technology for the
AVO. Intended as a Phase-A program, the AVO proposal will, by studies,
testbed deployments and prototype operations, define a full AVO
implementation program for Europe by the end of 2003.
The AVO proposal will coordinate its work with similar initiatives
in the US, Canada and Australia.

These OPTICON-sponsored initiatives are now funded, and in full operation.
Progress can be monitored at the various virtual observatory WWW sites
listed below.
Those interested are welcome to contact the working group chairmen.